Radical pancreatoduodenectomy--a procedure to be abandoned?

Radical pancreatoduodenectomy, or Whipple's procedure, has gradually fallen into disrepute during the past decade. This loss of popularity has resulted from excessive postoperative mortality and morbidity due to inherent technical difficulties, the dismal long-term survival when the procedure is done for adenocarcinoma of the pancreas, and the current enthusiasm for total pancreatectomy. Our objective was to assess the technical aspects of the Whipple procedure as they relate to subsequent morbidity and mortality. Conclusions are drawn from the evaluation of 146 consecutive patients who underwent this procedure between 1970 and 1979 for either benign (10 patients) or malignant (136 patients) diseases of the pancreas and periampullary region. The postoperative mortality was 4.1%. Significant morbidity occurred in 34% of patients, and early reoperation was required in 7.5% of these patients. The median postoperative hospital stay was 19 days. The relatively low postoperative mortality indicates that inherent technical difficulties of the Whipple procedure can be overcome and supports its continued use in carefully selected patients. The persistent high morbidity and the rather poor long-term results following treatment of certain pancreatic malignancies place individual surgical judgment and technical expertise at a premium when ever this classic operation is contemplated.